Ballot recounts are going just about as well as you'd think. It's Thursday's news.
It's been 16 days since Election Day and states are still contentiously recounting. Even endangered sea creatures aren't immune to the wrath of 2020. And can you please call your kids (or parents) and seriously consider a remote Thanksgiving? Asking for the CDC.
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Georgia's recounts are almost in (we hope)
Election officials in Georgia say they are on track to finish their weeklong hand recount of the presidential race, with results expected Thursday (they said noon, yet here we are). President-elect Joe Biden, who initially led President Donald Trump in Georgia by 14,196 votes, saw his lead narrow to 12,781 votes after officials identified uncounted ballots in four counties — the result of human error. Georgia state law requires election results to be certified by Friday. After certification, the Trump campaign is expected to ask for another recount, which is allowed because the difference between the candidates is less than 0.5%. Trump, still refusing to concede the election to Biden, continues to level baseless claims of voter fraud in Georgia and other battleground states where he lost.
Meanwhile, Wisconsin's recount is off to a rough start
Wisconsin's recount turned into a partisan brawl Wednesday, well before the first votes began to be retallied. The three Republicans and three Democrats on the Wisconsin Elections Commission clashed repeatedly in a virtual meeting as they tried to establish recount guidelines. Though the commission was eventually able to unanimously approve the recount, the battle suggested the process will be brutal and could likely end in a courtroom. Oh, 2020.
Thinking of traveling for Thanksgiving? The CDC would prefer that you didn't
As COVID-19 cases surge across the country, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention is recommending against travel for Thanksgiving. Dr. Henry Walke, the CDC's COVID-19 incident manager, said the "tragedy that could happen" is that family members could end up severely ill, hospitalized or dying. The CDC's warning is the latest and most high-profile about the risks of traveling. As for specific Thanksgiving safety tips, the CDC recommends:
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Bringing your own food, drinks, plates, cups and utensils
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Avoiding passing by areas where food is being prepared, such as the kitchen
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Opting for single-use products, like individual salad dressing and condiment packets
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Using disposable items like food containers, plates and utensils.
Give it to me straight: The U.S. death toll from coronavirus has surpassed 250,000, including 1,700 deaths reported on Wednesday alone. Hospitalizations across the nation have exploded, with almost 80,000 Americans now receiving inpatient treatment. As COVID-19 cases pile up at a staggering rate, Republicans and Democrats remain in stark disagreement over the threat of the virus and the steps necessary to mitigate its spread.
Endangered sea creatures are being 'strangled, drowned' by plastic
From plastic netting and lines, down to the tiniest nanoplastics that can be eaten by zooplankton and enter the food chain, our seas are choking on plastic, and so are the animals who live there, according to a report released Thursday. The report by the international ocean advocacy nonprofit Oceana found that of 1,800 documented cases, 40 different marine mammal species had either swallowed or been entangled in plastic debris, and 88% of those animals are endangered or threatened with extinction. An alarming 90% of those cases involved the animal swallowing plastics like bags, balloons, fishing line and food wrappers, among other things. A 2019 report estimated that 15 million tons of plastic enter the ocean each year, the equivalent to two garbage trucks per minute. Can we figure out a way to use less plastic and save our ocean life?
A seal with its snout stuck in a plastic container lies on a beach in Hawaii.
The Grinch was not available for comment on the Rockefeller tree
What's more 2020 than this sad Rockefeller Center Christmas tree? If there's one thing giving people hope amid a bizarre year, it's the idea that holiday music and decorations will somehow hold the broken pieces of ourselves together for at least a few more weeks. But even the hopes of a merry holiday season are off to a rocky start. Take the Rockefeller tree, for example. The 75-foot Norway spruce looked about as good as the rest of this year when it arrived in New York City last weekend … not good. ๐
The Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree arrives at Rockefeller Plaza and is craned into place on November 14, 2020 in New York City.
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